


Resonance

by triste



Category: Hikaru no Go
Genre: Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-11-22
Updated: 2012-11-22
Packaged: 2017-11-19 06:54:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,197
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/570442
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/triste/pseuds/triste
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>That made all the difference.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Resonance

Title: Resonance  
Author: Triste  
Fandom: Hikaru no Go  
Pairings: Mitani/Akari, Hikaru/Sai  
Rating: PG  
Warnings: Gen  
Status: Complete  
Disclaimer: Not mine

~~

Shindou never had to say anything to be irritating. His presence alone was enough to rankle Mitani, especially when he was brooding. Shindou was always brooding these days. He'd still been annoying back when Mitani had first met him, but in a different way. The old Shindou had been noisy and overzealous, but now he was distant and introspective, like he was too cool to waste his words on the common folk.

If Mitani had been feeling reasonable or charitable he might have found it possible to acknowledge the fact that Shindou wasn't really as arrogant and self-centred as he liked to think, but a long-held grudge was hard to let go of. Shindou wasn't part of Mitani's world anymore, and Mitani wasn't about to allow him back in so easily.

"Fujisaki, why did you have to bring this gloomy guy along?" he complained, not bothering to keep his voice hushed. "He'd obviously rather be studying with his pro friends. He probably even finds his own company preferable to ours."

"You're being childish, Mitani-kun," Fujisaki said, like he wasn’t aware of that already. "We all know Hikaru is practically chained to his go board, and that's why he needs a change of pace. Besides, being cooped up indoors all the time isn't healthy. A little fresh air will do him a world of good."

"I thought this was supposed to be a *date*. Can't you say something to him about being a third wheel and make him clear off?"

"Stop picking on Hikaru when he hasn't done anything wrong. Why do you dislike him so much when the two of you used to be friends?"

Mitani looked away and scowled. Friendship meant nothing to Shindou, not when he was prepared to cast such attachments away for the sake of his own ambition. A board game was obviously more important to him than companionship, but Fujisaki still insisted on defending him. That only made Mitani even more resentful, and more spiteful than he probably should be, but he didn't care.

"Hikaru, stop dawdling!" Fujisaki called over her shoulder. "We'll leave you behind!"

"Good," smirked Mitani. "Let's walk faster."

Fujisaki pouted and smacked him lightly on the arm. "Don't be mean. Keep Hikaru company while I go and buy drinks, okay?"

Mitani took a seat on a nearby bench, drawing his legs up and settling into a cross-legged position partly out of habit, but mostly because he didn't want to leave Shindou any room to sit down next to him. Maybe he was being petty and immature, but Mitani couldn't help it. The Shindou he knew now was like a complete stranger. The only way he knew how to act around him was to sneer and condescend, but it never succeeded in provoking a response. Shindou wasn't short-tempered and impulsive anymore, and that unsettled Mitani. There was a stillness about him that seemed almost unnatural, and Mitani liked this calm and composed Shindou even less than he'd liked the bratty and exuberant one.

"What's your problem?" Mitani growled when Shindou finally caught up. "Quit giving Fujisaki so much reason to worry. She has enough problems of her own without having to cope with yours."

"Sorry," said Shindou, but that only irritated Mitani even more.

"What's up with that face? You're always walking around looking like someone died. Is the professional go world really so depressing?" Mitani gave a derisive snort. "Bet you wish you'd stuck with the amateur tournaments, at least they're more fun. Or is it something else? I bet you've been dumped, haven't you? That's why you're permanently miserable."

Shindou surprised him by actually smiling. "I guess you could say that," he answered wistfully.

"Smart girl," grinned Mitani.

"Actually, it was a guy," said Shindou, and there was a hint of his old playfulness in the tone of his voice that even managed to reach his eyes. "An older man, if you must know. He left me when I was fourteen."

Mitani nearly fell off the bench in shock as he turned to Shindou with a scandalised expression, slack-jawed and red-faced and wishing he hadn’t opened his mouth. "You'd better not tell Fujisaki that," he hissed, and Shindou laughed.

"Don't worry, you're the first person to know."

"I never asked for that honour, you jailbait bastard. Why did you feel the need to spill your guts to *me*?"

It was suddenly like old times again, when Shindou would say something so utterly stupid that Mitani would wonder if he really had a working brain inside his head. His right arm reached out before he noticed, probably to give Shindou a well-deserved noogie, but he caught himself before the situation could turn any more embarrassing. He shrugged it off as a mere muscle memory and stuffed his hand into his pocket, silently willing Fujisaki to hurry up already and save him from having to be alone with Shindou.

Shindou appeared oblivious to the tension. Mitani saw that the spark had gone from his eyes, leaving them distant and almost dreamy as he stared up at the sky. Mitani didn't want to know what he was thinking. He didn't want to know what he might be remembering.

"Sorry for the wait, the queue was longer than I expected," Fujisaki said upon her return. Then she noticed the awkward atmosphere. "What's wrong? Did something happen?"

"It's nothing," Mitani said firmly. "Thanks for getting the drinks. After this, Shindou will be the one to treat everyone. It's only fair, what with him making so much money from his matches and all."

Fujisaki tried to protest, but Shindou said quietly, "It's okay. I don't mind."

"Well, if you're sure," Fujisaki said, uncertain.

"Whatever you want, Shindou will buy it," Mitani continued. "He's going to use this day to make up for every other one where he's made you sad or worried. When it's over, he's going to apologise for shunting you out of his life, and then he can go back to doing whatever the hell he does when he isn't playing go with a guilt-free conscience. Then, you and I can forget all about him and go out on a proper date at last."

"Mitani-kun," Fujisaki warned, eyeing Shindou anxiously, but Shindou only smiled.

"Sounds good to me," he said. "I'll even brave those awful perfume boutiques if that's what you want."

Fujisaki scrunched up her nose and immediately launched into a lecture about how perfume was not something to be belittled by men simply because it was costly and strong-smelling, while Shindou half-listened like it was something he'd already heard a hundred times before.

It was Mitani's turn to feel left out and unnecessary then, but for Fujisaki he would bear it. He couldn't spoil her with gifts the way Shindou could, but then Shindou wouldn't be the one to support her when she needed him. Shindou wouldn't be the one she turned to when she was happy or upset. Shindou wouldn't be there to stand by her, but Mitani would, and that made all the difference.

 

End.


End file.
